WEBVTT THE ANSWER OF COURSE IS --THE ANSWER OF COURSE IS -- IS AUSTRALIA COUNTRY OR IS AUSTRALIA COUNTRY ORCONTINENT?CONTINENT?>> A CONTINENT.>> A CONTINENT.>> A COUNTRY.>> A COUNTRY.>> IT WOULD BE BOTH.>> IT WOULD BE BOTH.>> DID YOU KNOW IT WAS BOTH?>> DID YOU KNOW IT WAS BOTH?>> DID YOU KNOW IT WAS BOTH?>> KNOW, I WOULD’VE SAID IT WAS>> KNOW, I WOULD’VE SAID IT WASA COUNTRY.A COUNTRY.MIKE CHERRY: PEOPLE WE SPOKEMIKE CHERRY: PEOPLE WE SPOKEMIKE CHERRY: PEOPLE WE SPOKEWITH AREN’T THE ONLY ONESWITH AREN’T THE ONLY ONESCONFUSED BY THAT QUESTION, SOCONFUSED BY THAT QUESTION, SOWAS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR ATWAS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR ATSOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRESOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIREUNIVERSITY.UNIVERSITY.IT ALL BEGAN WITH STUDENT ASHLEYIT ALL BEGAN WITH STUDENT ASHLEYARNOLD, WHO SHARED HERARNOLD, WHO SHARED HERHEADSCRATCHING ORDEAL WITH THEHEADSCRATCHING ORDEAL WITH THEONLINE SITE BUZZFEED.ONLINE SITE BUZZFEED.THE IDAHO RESIDENT WASTHE IDAHO RESIDENT WASCOMPLETING HER SOCIOLOGY DEGREECOMPLETING HER SOCIOLOGY DEGREEONLINE.ONLINE.TASKED WITH AN ASSIGNMENT TOTASKED WITH AN ASSIGNMENT TOCOMPARE A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITHCOMPARE A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITHTHE U.S., SHE CHOSE AUSTRALIA.THE U.S., SHE CHOSE AUSTRALIA.WHEN SHE GOT HER GRADE BACK ITWHEN SHE GOT HER GRADE BACK ITWAS A ZERO.WAS A ZERO.THE PROFESSOR ARGUED AUSTRALIATHE PROFESSOR ARGUED AUSTRALIAWAS NOT A REAL COUNTRY BUT AWAS NOT A REAL COUNTRY BUT ACONTINENT.CONTINENT.>> WHAT IF I TOLD YOU IT WAS>> WHAT IF I TOLD YOU IT WASBOTH?BOTH?>> WHY?>> WHY?>> WHY?MIKE CHERRY: IT’S REASONING CANMIKE CHERRY: IT’S REASONING CANBE A HEAD SCRATCHER.BE A HEAD SCRATCHER.AUSTRALIA AS A CONTINENTAUSTRALIA AS A CONTINENTINCLUDES TASMANIA, NEW GUINEA,INCLUDES TASMANIA, NEW GUINEA,SERAM, TIMOR AND THESERAM, TIMOR AND THECOMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.WHY?WHY?BECAUSE THEY ALL SHARE THE SAMEBECAUSE THEY ALL SHARE THE SAMETECTONIC PLATES.TECTONIC PLATES.ARNOLD SHARED LINKS TO FACTSARNOLD SHARED LINKS TO FACTSLIKE THESE IN EMAIL EXCHANGESLIKE THESE IN EMAIL EXCHANGESWITH THE PROFESSOR.WITH THE PROFESSOR.ARNOLD ALSO ALERTED SNHU BECAUSEARNOLD ALSO ALERTED SNHU BECAUSESHE TOLD BUZZFEED SHE WASSHE TOLD BUZZFEED SHE WASWORRIED OTHER STUDENTS MIGHTWORRIED OTHER STUDENTS MIGHTHAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY GRADED BYHAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY GRADED BYTHE PROFESSOR.THE PROFESSOR.SNHU ISSUED A STATEMENT TODAY,SNHU ISSUED A STATEMENT TODAY,SAYING, "WE DEEPLY REGRET THESAYING, "WE DEEPLY REGRET THEINTERACTION BETWEEN OUINTERACTION BETWEEN OUPROFESSOR AND OUR STUDENT ANDPROFESSOR AND OUR STUDENT ANDHAVE APOLOGIZED TO THE STUDEHAVE APOLOGIZED TO THE STUDEAND REFUNDED HER FOR THE CLASS.AND REFUNDED HER FOR THE CLASS.

Southern New Hampshire University has replaced an online adjunct professor who initially failed a student’s assignment because the professor thought Australia wasn’t a country.An email exchange between the student, a 27-year-old stay-at-home mother in Idaho completing a degree at SNHU in sociology, and the professor was revealed in a Buzzfeed story Thursday and went viral.>> Download the FREE WMUR appAshley Arnold was working on an assignment to compare American social norms to that of another country. She chose social media use in Australia but earned a zero for a portion of the project’s grading rubric because the professor believed Arnold didn’t select a country.When Arnold emailed the professor about her grade, she received a response that the professor would look into it, but identifying Australia as a country and not a continent was the issue.“That error made it nearly impossible for you to accurately complete your week 2 research outline correctly,” the professor wrote in the response, as posted by Buzzfeed.After Arnold responded again, the professor replied, indicating that she will review the paper after she does some “independent research on the continent/country issue.”SNHU officials said in a statement to WMUR that the instructor has been replaced following an investigation:"We deeply regret the interaction between our professor and our student and have apologized to the student and refunded her for the class. Following an investigation, we have replaced the instructor as we strive to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in educating our students. To our friends and colleagues in Australia, we know that you are a country and a continent, best of luck in the Olympic games!" Arnold received an amended grade of a B+, according to Buzzfeed.

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

Southern New Hampshire University has replaced an online adjunct professor who initially failed a student’s assignment because the professor thought Australia wasn’t a country.

An email exchange between the student, a 27-year-old stay-at-home mother in Idaho completing a degree at SNHU in sociology, and the professor was revealed in a Buzzfeed story Thursday and went viral.

Ashley Arnold was working on an assignment to compare American social norms to that of another country. She chose social media use in Australia but earned a zero for a portion of the project’s grading rubric because the professor believed Arnold didn’t select a country.

When Arnold emailed the professor about her grade, she received a response that the professor would look into it, but identifying Australia as a country and not a continent was the issue.

“That error made it nearly impossible for you to accurately complete your week 2 research outline correctly,” the professor wrote in the response, as posted by Buzzfeed.

After Arnold responded again, the professor replied, indicating that she will review the paper after she does some “independent research on the continent/country issue.”

SNHU officials said in a statement to WMUR that the instructor has been replaced following an investigation:

"We deeply regret the interaction between our professor and our student and have apologized to the student and refunded her for the class. Following an investigation, we have replaced the instructor as we strive to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in educating our students. To our friends and colleagues in Australia, we know that you are a country and a continent, best of luck in the Olympic games!"